Just got some new additions for my fish tank

[t to the maxx2]

I have not used anything to modify the chemistry yet asides from the instant ocean. I will bring some water in next time I go to the LFS and have him test my water, the guy there knows me and always will test my water and give discounts, so, I go there pretty often

[t to the maxx2]

And yes, I am using a skimmer.

[Biodragen]

Okay good.

Invest in test kits and I highly suggest to use Salifert test kits.
They are by far superior than any test kits out there.
LMK cuz I have several I am not using I can sell you for less than the LFS.
I have NO2, NO3, Amm, Alk, PH, Mag, Calc


Also Invest in a good hydrometer and not the cheap $10 plastic dial ones.
I am talking about the look through kind and they are about $75.
The plastic dial ones---you have to season them and season it prior to testing and then when done you have to rinse with filtered water. You cannot calibrate these types, the look through one you can.
I typically kept my salinity at 1.025.
Since you have a small tank I suggest to use a drip method to keep the water level in your sump constant. I milk jug DIY with air hose and some sort of adjustable clamp to vary the drip.

Also don't always trust the LFS filtered water or buy the mixed water.
Make your own and if you can eventually afford one I would get an RODI system, you can hook it up to the sink and fill a 5 gal bucket. Seal it off and haveit ready. I suggest to find a way to store 75% of your current water volume.

Sorry there is so much to learn and many many tips and tricks.

[Biodragen]

Oh waht LFS do you go to?

[t to the maxx2]

I make my own water.

Uh, how much for the test kits, I may or may not be interested depending. What is a RODI system? Some sort of sump? I just have the skimmer and the HOB filter. ALso, i ahve about 50-55 lbs of liverock now, and buy 3-5 lbs every time I go to the LFS

[t to the maxx2]

I go to old orchard aquarium
The owner, Alan, has been a family friend of mine for many years, and treats us right.

[Biodragen]

Ah okay.

RODI= Reverse Osmosis Deionized
The sump goes under the tank and cycles the water back. It is a good thing to have and you can remove the hang on you have---it almost does not do you much and wastes electricity.
Oh I forgot to mention this too---Don't use the BIOBALLS--it is a nitrate factory.
Okay stop buying LR for a while and allow your tank to settle in. If you keep going like this you can run the risk if Ditom bloom(Algea) Which you should know about when you cycled your tank.
Depending how much Livestock lay low and allow that too to settle in.
Add things slow and easy---be patient( I know it is hard ) it will be worth it.

Be very careful on what the guy at the LFS tells you. Some places tell you things only to get you to come back and buy more crud you may not need and cause you to pollute your tank.

All you need for equipment:
Lights
Skimmer
Hydrometer
Sump
Return pump for sump
Power heads
Heater.

Note in some of my pics showing all my equipment----nothing was in the show tank. everything I did was through the sump and I also heated water there to.
Oh and when you make up your water change.
Use an airpump to airate the water and a power head along with a heater.
YOu want to match as close as possible to the tank water.
Cold salt water and heated salt water does change your salinity readings.
It is also a good idea to test the PH of the fresh mix, You can get it up prior to adding to the tank.

Oh and you should have PH readings with lights on around 8.0 and expect it to go up to 8.2-8.3 with lights off---it might be the other way around.
Also you want your Alkalinity to be in the area of 7-11DKH preferable 10-11 DKH is very good place to be.
Calcium you want around 425ppm and Magnesium around 1300ppm.
Oh and zero phosphates---this will cause algea to grow like crazy which means you are nutrient rich and in turn you need to cut back on the amount you feed.

I hope CEME is reading all this and taking notes 8-)

[Biodragen]

Yeah I have heard of them. Not a bad place.

Get in another forum like ZoosRus--tell them I sent ya-same user name in all the forums I went to.
Know ppl and you can trade corals or buy frags. I am a zoo lover myself.
Far less expensive than the LFS which has a huge mark up at almost double in some places.
Try to get Aquacultured corals and frags---they are hearty compared to wild.
Wild are more sensitive.

[Biodragen]

I will get back to you on the test kits.
FWIW---new ones are around $18 and up to $30.
I will make you a fair deal on them. Some are used and some are new.
they still have shelf life for another year or until 2008

[t to the maxx2]

Ah okay.

RODI= Reverse Osmosis Deionized
The sump goes under the tank and cycles the water back. It is a good thing to have and you can remove the hang on you have---it almost does not do you much and wastes electricity.
Oh I forgot to mention this too---Don't use the BIOBALLS--it is a nitrate factory.
Okay stop buying LR for a while and allow your tank to settle in. If you keep going like this you can run the risk if Ditom bloom(Algea) Which you should know about when you cycled your tank.
Depending how much Livestock lay low and allow that too to settle in.
Add things slow and easy---be patient( I know it is hard ) it will be worth it.
Right now, I have 2 emerald crabs, a sally lightfoot, tons of hermits and snails, a clownfish, a royal gramma, and the corals.
Be very careful on what the guy at the LFS tells you. Some places tell you things only to get you to come back and buy more crud you may not need and cause you to pollute your tank.
I really highly doubt he would do that. He knows me and my tank, he knows that I have an OK understanding of fish, and research, or try to as much as possible, for example, today i asked about a mandiran dragon fish, which I knew wouldn't do well yet, and he said not for a while, till we say it's OK. Basically he treats my tank as one of his own.
All you need for equipment:
Lights
Skimmer
Hydrometer
Sump
Return pump for sump
Power heads
Heater.

Note in some of my pics showing all my equipment----nothing was in the show tank. everything I did was through the sump and I also heated water there to.
Oh and when you make up your water change.
Use an airpump to airate the water and a power head along with a heater.
YOu want to match as close as possible to the tank water.
Cold salt water and heated salt water does change your salinity readings.
It is also a good idea to test the PH of the fresh mix, You can get it up prior to adding to the tank.

Oh and you should have PH readings with lights on around 8.0 and expect it to go up to 8.2-8.3 with lights off---it might be the other way around.
Also you want your Alkalinity to be in the area of 7-11DKH preferable 10-11 DKH is very good place to be.
Calcium you want around 425ppm and Magnesium around 1300ppm.
Oh and zero phosphates---this will cause algea to grow like crazy which means you are nutrient rich and in turn you need to cut back on the amount you feed.

I hope CEME is reading all this and taking notes 8-)

responses in bold

[t to the maxx2]

Yeah I have heard of them. Not a bad place.

Get in another forum like ZoosRus--tell them I sent ya-same user name in all the forums I went to.
Know ppl and you can trade corals or buy frags. I am a zoo lover myself.
Far less expensive than the LFS which has a huge mark up at almost double in some places.
Try to get Aquacultured corals and frags---they are hearty compared to wild.
Wild are more sensitive.

Will do, registering as t to the maxx2 probally tomarrow.

[t to the maxx2]

I will get back to you on the test kits.
FWIW---new ones are around $18 and up to $30.
I will make you a fair deal on them. Some are used and some are new.
they still have shelf life for another year or until 2008

Let me know

[t to the maxx2]

New pics

[Ponch]

I like the clownfish in the last pic lol

[t to the maxx2]

Thanks! I'll take bettter pics of him, I love takin tank pictures

[Ponch]

Welp, did EVERYTHING you said Bio. I took and did the dip thing for everything that was inside my tank, took out all the rocks and rinsed them, cleaned the actual tank, and put it all back together. I split up my plant into 2 seperate ones because it was so big, and I took out that big gray rock thing because it didn't fit in.
I suck at tank pics lol




Sadly, one of my blue/orange guppies is dying. He either got injured in my sisters tank (they're the smallest fish we have, and my sister usally has 2 fish to feed. Well I have 5 that I added to her tank and I don't think she ended up feeding for 7. Not her fault, I should have checked how much they got.), the shock from moving from tank to tank, or it was just his time. He's still moving, so I'm going to leave him in there and hope for the best until he shows no signs of life.

[Ponch]

I think the shock did them all in....Both guppies are gone, my 2 white/orange fish are very sluggish and unresponsive and so is my sucker fish

[Ponch]

All fish are gone except 1 org/white, and he's just moving his mouth

[rocco79]

murderer!!!!

[Ponch]

All are gone....


stfu roc

[Biodragen]

Something is not right
Did you get new filters or reuse them?

What I had you do had nothing to do with the loss really. That is just maintenance is all.
My wife took care of her betta tank like this but the difference was the water I had her use. I have filtered water where I did not have to add the declorinator.
I think cuz the tank got so polluted and the stress of switching them to a clean tank and back to there old home after cleaning had a bunch to do with the outcome.

If you have a way check the ammonia level in the water please do.
There has got to be something with the water quality for all of them to go like that. I would have expected a loss or two but not all of them like this.

Damn good thing this was not a Salt water tank, you would have lost your arse there.

[Biodragen]

I do not think the weak feeding was a part of this either.
They can live for several days without before you notice anything.

I am really leaning toward high ammonia levels that were leathal.

[Ponch]

I put in a new filter. I have a test that does pH, Nitrate, Nitrite, Hardness, and alkalinity. It's NIP so I can return it if the ammonia one will be more valueable to me than this one. Or I can head up to Petsmart tomorrow and see what they say about a water sample.



Well at least the new fish will have a nice clean tank...



For the # of fish you can have in a tank, I was told 1 gallon per 1 inch of fish- is that about right?


And I'm not blaming you for what happened Bio, you were helping. Not sure if what I posted came up that way, but if it did I'm sorry.

[Biodragen]

Oh no worries, I did not think you were blaming me.
I was doing the elimination process.
I really really feel that there is something with the water.
Get it under control and wait before adding a new fish.
You need a little dirt in there for it do do it's part in the ecological cycle of things.

See what the LFS has to say about the water quality.
As for the amount of fish that is about right.
You get bigger fish the less you can have.

As for tests for fresh---I never used them cuz I did small weekely water changes verses one big one less often. I always vaccumed my rock beds.
Once a week a quick cleaning is easier than spending and hour or two at one time and then you end up rushing it cuz you really don't want to spend all that time doing it. Atleast that is how it was for me.

[Ponch]

What do you guys think I should get for new fish? I was just thinking like 6-7 guppies because they look cool and another sucker.

I'm going to hopefully get my tank levels decent within a week so that I can get some fish in there.